4 Xiaolin Past
by TamerTerra
Summary: Omi has been kidnapped by the infamous Chase Young, and Kimiko has a plan to get him back. But when the recently returned Raimundo is their best hope for infiltration... how long will it take? AU, RaiJack later, friendship fic.
1. Chapter 1

Sequel to 1. Heylin Future (2023848), 2. Helpless (2287113), and 3. Reconciliation (2436000).

This story-arc may contain themes of homosexuality, betrayal, indecisiveness, OT3 and that _particular_ brand of homophobia that seems to be possessed by teenage boys everywhere. To use the old cliché: Don't like, don't read.

The title of this arc (Xiaolin Past) refers back to the first - as a sort of bookending, if you will. It also has a reference to the end, but lets not worry about that yet.

&o&o&

Raimundo listened to the others, almost certain that they were asleep. He was aware that some of the Shen Gong Wu that he had accidentally brought from the future were still in the vault, and he intended to remove them before they were found and difficult questions were asked, but doing that in the daytime would seem suspicious at best.

They _sounded_ asleep, but he peeked around the curtains to make sure. They _looked _asleep, too. He tiptoed toward the vault, endeavouring to be as quiet as possible so that they _stayed_ asleep.

He started to list the Shen Gong Wu in his head, but found that he couldn't remember. It seemed so long ago... Sword of the Storm, he knew that he'd had that one... The Tangled Web Comb? He stopped, and listened. Katnappé had taken most of them, but he realised that he didn't actually know which, if any, Jack had lost in Showdowns against the monks. And he felt a bit foolish sneaking around the temple with no plan.

Just as he was about to turn around and go back to bed, he heard a noise coming from the direction of the vault. A break in? He started toward it, running noisily until he got close and then tiptoeing again to conceal his presence. He stopped at the perpetually open door, hiding most of his body behind it as he peeked into the large room.

An all-too-familiar head of hair was waving about at ground level - Jack Spicer's. Raimundo walked over normally now that he knew that there was no threat. He rested his hands on his thighs and looked down to where Spicer was pawing through their Shen Gong Wu. There was no sign of the Trember Trident, fortunately.

"What'cha doing?" he asked, grinning.

Jack jumped, looked up, and started a squeak. Raimundo jumped down and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Shh!" he said urgently, as Jack's arms began to flail at him. "Look! Ow- Hey! I was coming to steal from the vault too, okay?" he hissed, hoping that no-one had woken up in the scuffle.

Jack grabbed Raimundo's hand and pulled it down to his chin so that he could talk. "Get your hands offa me!" he exclaimed, even as Raimundo shushed him.

"Raimundo?" called a voice from outside.

Darn it, someone had woken up. Raimundo grabbed Jack around the middle and dragged him down to the bottom of the stairs, beyond where those above could see. "Stay quiet, or else!" Raimundo hissed into Jack's ear as he pushed him into the corner and pressed into the small space next to him.

Omi wandered into the room, rubbing his eyes. "I thought I heard..." he started, but then blinked and trailed off. Louder, more solid footfalls could be heard outside, coming steadily closer. They were foreign - no-one at the temple had shoes that made _that_ flavour of noise... Almost instinctively, Raimundo pressed himself closer to Jack, who made a short whimper of protest before falling silent again.

"I've been watching you, Omi." The voice sent a shiver down Raimundo's spine. Seeing Jack's face, he could tell that the other boy had felt the same thing - at least, before the face abruptly changed to one of awe.

"I've seen you," came the voice from above. "Who are you?"

"Chase Young," Jack breathed.

"Who?" Raimundo whispered back.

"I am your future," the cold voice said.

"My future?" Omi sounded confused, as anyone would be in his place.

"The greatest evil overlord that the world has ever seen." Jack was gazing over Raimundo's shoulder, as if in a dreamland. "I have to see him..."

"You and I are part of a grand scheme, the likes of which this world has never known." There was a pause. "When we join forces, we shall rule the world!"

There was another pause before Omi spoke. "Which side are you-"

When Jack moved to push Raimundo aside, the Brazilian realised that he was serious. "Don't!" he hissed, far too loudly. The voices stopped.

"Who is down there!" Omi cried. "You! You sought to distract me while your friends took our Shen Gong Wu!"

The latter was clearly aimed at the Chase Young character, but Raimundo rested his head against Jack's chest. He was so going to get found out, have to leave the temple, go home as a failure... Worst-cast scenarios played out in his head, but he didn't realise that his cheeks were wet until Jack moved, trying to shift away from him.

"Well _that_ explains why you keep trying to cuddle up to me," the boy muttered.

"I have no interest in Shen Gong Wu," Chase Young said, but Raimundo didn't hear. He was staring at Jack Spicer.

"What do you mean?" he and Omi could have said the words in unison.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Boys don't cry," he explained, before mumbling something else.

"My only interest is in you, Omi."

Unison again: "What did you say?"

"I said: 'Not the straight ones, anyway'"

"Everybody cries." Raimundo grinned. "And besides, you're a walking stereotype!" Jack rolled his eyes again, unable to do much else in this position, but Raimundo continued. "No, really! You wear make-up, you scream like a girl, and just _look_ as those- You're blushing now!" All of this was said in hurried whispers, and Jack had indeed turned quite red. "Wait a minute," Raimundo said more slowly, "does this mean that you really are..."

"Stereotypes gotta come from somewhere," Jack mumbled.

Raimundo blushed, too. "Er..." he started awkwardly, "If you were expecting me to get away from you and uh, call you names or something, um... We're still hiding for a bit, so..."

"Raimundo?" Omi was suddenly on the stairs; they had been too engrossed with their conversation to notice. "What are you doing in the vault? With Jack Spicer?" Omi's eyes shone more at every word, until Raimundo wondered if he was going to cry. They'd say that he'd let them all down, let them down _again_, no less. "You haven't... haven't b-betr-"

Raimundo licked his suddenly dry lips. "I-"

A shadow loomed against the wall. Omi turned to it, shaking his head. Jack grabbed Raimundo and tried to use him as a shield, and the shadow solidified into a large humanoid lizard. "Come with me," the lizard said, advancing on Omi. "I am _not_ patient."

Omi tried to fight, but having no Shen Gong Wu put him at a disadvantage to the stronger and faster monster. "Raimundo!" he yelled when the lizard had grabbed him, but Raimundo was frozen with fear, one arm still shielding Jack Spicer.

When the lizard had ascended the stairs, Omi struggling out of fear and disbelief, the boys sank to the ground, shaking. "I couldn't- I couldn't do-" Raimundo stuttered, almost hyperventilating.

"He'd have ripped you limb from limb if you'd tried," Jack agreed, leaving himself out of the sentence in an unconscious acknowledgement that he wouldn't have helped anyway, and still holding tightly Raimundo's arm. His next words, however, weren't nearly as 'comforting'. "I'd heard about him, and read about him, but in person... Wow." Jack grinned. "Terrifyingly _wow_." And then, to Raimundo's shock, he giggled.

Other voices could be heard now, outside. Kimiko calling Omi's name, Dojo shouting and a bell ringing. Raimundo seemed to rouse himself after a moment, and stood up quickly when footsteps inside the room could be heard. "Get out of here," he whispered, opening a drawer and chucking the Changing Chopsticks at Jack. He paused before going up the stairs. "I'll come over tomorrow night," he said without turning back. "There's something that I think we need to talk about."

Jack nodded mutely before whispering the name of the Shen Gong Wu and flying away. Raimundo lay down on the stars and groaned as loudly as he could.

"I was fighting this giant lizard," he said to Clay when he was found. "It was after Omi, but I couldn't beat it..."

"It's okay," Kimiko said. "You aren't at our level yet, you couldn't expect to beat the new boss on your first try..."

&o&o&

"This is a most troubling turn of events," Master Fung said solemnly as he faced the remaining three dragons-in-training. "If Chase Young succeeds in turning Omi to the Heylin side, there is a possibility that..." He paused, waiting for Raimundo to cut in. The boy remained silent, so Master Fung sighed and continued: "There is a possibility that these events could trigger one thousand years of darkness."

"Why only one thousand?" asked Clay.

"The lizard guy hasn't been on the Heylin side as long as Wuya has," Dojo explained."It's like an evil Loyalty Points system – the longer you're a member, the more years of darkness you can start."

"But we've got a plan to rescue Omi," Kimiko said, and sat up straight, ready to tell it.

"We do?" Raimundo asked.

"Yes, _we_ do," she affirmed, giving him a look. "You're going to pretend to be evil again..."

"What?" he cried, shocked.

"...get into Chase's lair thing, find out where Omi is, and get him out. Got it?"

"No way! I won't!"

"Oh yes you-"

Master Fung cleared his throat, interrupting them. "It is a dangerous plan," he said, "and not one that should be undertaken without great forethought. Raimundo?"

"Yes, Master Fung?"

"It is your decision. Decide carefully." The elder monk rose from his seated position without unfolding his arms, and left them to think about it.

&o&o&

"You've got to do it. Raimundo..." Kimiko sighed, watching as he made a show of concentrating on the football he bounced on his knee. "What are you so scared of, anyway!" she said in frustration. "What's the worst that could happen? At least we'll have _tried!_"

Raimundo missed the ball; it rolled away slowly. "We might have different ideas on what 'the worst' is, Kimiko." He didn't go after the ball. "What if I decide to _stay_ on the Heylin side? What if it ends up with me _and_ Omi _and_ Wuya _and_ Jack _and_ Katnappé _and_ this Chase Young guy against you and Clay, huh? Or what if..." He trailed off. _That_ excuse was a selfish one – there was no way that she'd take it. "And why me, anyway?" he asked, as though the answer wasn't obvious. If she couldn't _say_ that it was because of his recent past on the Heylin side...

Kimiko's smile had frozen. "You won't," she said through clenched teeth. "You won't leave us again!"

He scowled down at her. "How do you know?" he asked, his voice harsh.

She tried to laugh. "Stop... Stop kidding around, Rai." She paused, waiting for him to laugh too. He didn't; she let the smile fall from her lips. "You're Good, I know you are. That was just a one-time thing, that's what you said... Right? Right, Raimundo?"

He glared for a moment more before dropping his gaze and turning away. "Sure," he said. "Sure, whatever."

Dojo came from around the corner and slammed into the tension as though it were a brick wall, Clay in slow pursuit. "Okay, we've come up with another pl-"

"Don't bother," Raimundo said. "I'll do it."

&o&o&

AN: As always, concrit is the best thing ever. If I have mucked up royally somewhere (like most of my leaps of logic), please tell me. Likewise if something particular stands out - whether it be a positive or negative thing.


	2. Chapter 2

After spending most of the day perfecting the plan, Raimundo sat with the remaining two monks on Dojo's back. _It isn't even a _good _plan_, he thought. _It probably won't even work_. However, they were getting ever closer to Chase's land, and the task wasn't going to magically vanish; Omi wasn't going to un-kidnap himself.

Or was he? Raimundo had seen little of the monks' new abilities in the past weeks, and wasn't too sure as to how much they had improved (_without him_, said a nagging voice in his head) since he had left. Ashley's words when he had been 'captured' by Wuya still rang in his head: _"You _do_ know that everyone hates you, right?"_ Since that night, he had become increasingly more wary of his companions, although he tried to tell himself that he was being silly.

They didn't trust him completely, it was true, but there was no call for him to return the sentiment.

"Don't get caught," Clay said.

"I won't," Raimundo replied with a nervous grin.

"Good Luck," Kimiko said quietly, and reached out to hug him. There was a strange look on her face that had nothing to do with the queer, heavy light that hung around this place.

He stayed out of reach, scowling. It was her fault he was here in the first place! Or, if not the first place (that was his own doing), second or third. He pulled out the Golden Tiger Claws. "I don't know why I still hang around here!" he shouted for the benefit of anyone listening, "I was much better off on the Heylin Side!" and slashed the claws through the air.

"Raimundo! No! Come back!" Kimiko shouted just as loudly. She really needed to work on her acting, Raimundo reflected as the purple colours flashed past. Then again, she didn't really _need_ to have any great skills before-

Before he had time to complete the thought, he had fallen into what looked like an ancient throne room built by some rich desert-dweller. There were fountains everywhere, but the flavour of the place was coloured by the balconies and the dais, all of which were in shadow. It was the kind of shadow that gives one the creeps even if one _isn't_ afraid of the dark.

"Who are you, and why have you come?" a voice said. It sounded bored, but familiar. Was it ... the voice from yesterday? There was a rumble in the background, like some wild animal.

"Are you Chase Young?" Raimundo asked. He turned around looking for the source of the voice, unsuccessfully. It began to occur to him that everything with Wuya might be nothing here - it wasn't like she and Chase were allies. Heck, they might never have even met, or could be enemies...

"You didn't answer the question," the voice said.

"Chase, your showering mechanism is needlessly complicated," stated another voice; it was an impatient voice that was advancing from a different direction. Raimundo turned around to see Wuya wearing naught but a towel, and (understandably) his brain went into a kind of shut-down. She stopped walking when she entered the room, and displayed a face of shock, followed by a wink, when she saw Raimundo. "Why, Raimundo," she said, "what a pleasant surprise!"

"You know him?" asked the bored voice. It still didn't seem at all impressed, which was a bad sign.

"Why, of course!" Wuya exclaimed. She strode over to the boy, turned him around to face the dais and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "This is my Apprentice, Raimundo. I invited him here for training."

"Need I remind you that this is still _my_ house?"

"Oh, you have plenty of room," she said dismissively. Raimundo stayed quiet - she was handling this better than he could, even if this was a complete surprise to her.

"With all the strays you keep bringing in, there soon won't be." There was a sigh, the sound of movement in the shadows, and then a man emerged. Chase Young looked impressive, in a flashy sort of way - the armour seemed to be more decorative than functional, and that long black-green hair _couldn't_ fare well in a fight - but Raimundo, after seeing him transformed, wasn't fooled. He looked back at Wuya questioningly, but she ignored him.

Chase looked Raimundo up and down, appraising him. "Fine, he can stay," he said eventually. "But on one condition." Here the lizard-man allowed a flicker of a grin to cross his face. "He shares Spicer's bedroom."

Raimundo heard Wuya suppress a snigger before she spoke. "He's fine with that." _I am?_ He wondered.

"Go on and show him around, then," Chase said, and walked away from them.

Wuya took a step, but then realised that she was still wearing the towel. "I still didn't ask him about..." she muttered, but shook her head. "Follow me, then," she said to Raimundo, and walked back the way she had come. Raimundo looked around the throne room once more, and then followed.

Wuya led him down the corridor passing purposely by a large number of doors. "So, I'm your Apprentice now?" he asked as they stopped. The door was exactly the same as the others (Raimundo supposed this was to confuse intruders), but she threw it open with confidence and let go of the towel before slamming the door in Raimundo's face. Seconds later she was back, dressed and striding on down the corridor. Raimundo stared after her, only following after she beckoned flirtatiously. If this was what Wuya was like when she had a body, his stay here would be ... interesting, to say the least.

"Yes," she said a few moments later, as though nothing had happened. She looked him up and down. "You'll need new robes, of course..."

_Aw man, I thought I was done with robes,_ he thought. "I do?" he asked out loud.

She looked amused. "Of course," she said, continuing to walk quickly. "If you are going to have a higher rank, you'll have to look the part!"

Raimundo almost tripped over his feet in shock. "Higher rank!" he yelped.

Wuya turned around when she realised that he had stopped. "Yes," she said impatiently. "Dashi based the rank system at his temple on the Heylin one that was in place before - if you become my Apprentice, that gives you the official rank of Heylin Apprentice.

"Now," she said, continuing the walk again. "Hurry up. There's something that I want to show you." Raimundo followed, still slightly dazed.

The corridor of identical doors seemed to go on forever as they continued silently, until Raimundo began to wonder if they were going in circles. Just as he was about it ask, however, the walls changed abruptly when they reached a stone staircase. Wuya put her finger to her lips, grinning, and slipped down them almost silently.

Raimundo's descent wasn't nearly as graceful, but he tiptoed as best he could while still keeping up. It was a fairly long flight of stairs. The light from the corridor did not make much difference in the latter half, and so flaming torches were mounted on charred sconces which sent up smoke and flickery shadows. Wuya stopped at a large door and waited for him to catch up before opening it noisily. Once again she put a finger to her lips, but then practically danced down the stairs on the other side and into the dungeon.

"And how are we today?" she asked, and was met with stubborn silence. "Still not speaking to us?" Raimundo crept a little further down the stairs, trying to see who she was speaking to. It couldn't be... There was a gasp, and Raimundo wobbled on one foot. Wuya grinned and turned her back on him, behaving as though she were oblivious to him and the hastily hidden look of shock on Omi's face. "What's the matter? Are you missing your friends?"

Omi grinned as though a plan had just come off. "Not any more!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

Wuya raised her eyebrows in blatant false surprise and turned slowly back to Raimundo, smiling pleasantly. "Oh, _there_ you are Raimundo. Do come here." Raimundo walked over slowly, keeping his eyes on Omi's. _He has to understand_, he thought, trying to will everything - the plan, how this wasn't real, the fact that they were still friends whatever it looked like - to the other boy through eye contact. "My Apprentice," Wuya said.

Omi looked heartbroken. "Raimundo," he said, disappointed but the question still there.

He frantically searched his mind for something that would put Omi at ease without letting on to Wuya. He almost laughed at himself for the telepathy attempt - why would it work, anyway? Eyes can't tell stories. "Oh, yeah," he said, smoothly despite his fraying nerves. "It's all thanks to Wuya that _I'm here now_."

The hidden message wasn't caught. It had been a long shot, anyway, but there was always a chance... Not any more. Omi's face crumpled, before he lifted his head and _glared_. Raimundo tried to step backward, but Wuya was behind him and holding his shoulders.

She laughed. "Oh, don't look so surprised. The way things are now, I shouldn't wonder if your other friends join us of their own free will."

"No. Kimiko and Clay are _honourable_ warriors," Omi stated, looking directly at Raimundo.

"What, are you saying I'm not?" Raimundo asked, trying to inject some more hints into the conversation. "I'm following orders!"

"From the wrong side!" Omi yelled.

"Oh really!" he yelled back. "Maybe you're right," _maybe I would be better off with Wuya,_ "but maybe you're wrong!" _Please, get it through your head that I'm still on your side!_

Omi glared back, about to make another comeback before Wuya guided Raimundo away from the barred wall. "Perhaps it would be best to continue the tour," she said, giving him a strange look. He nodded, shaken, and could feel Omi's eyes on him as he passed by.

The dungeon was dark past the edge of Omi's cell. The torches had not been lit further on and Raimundo wondered where Wuya was going to take him, a seed of worry that he might have been set up beginning to grow in his mind.

"Where are we going?" he asked. His voice echoed. Just as the last reverberations had died away, there was a sudden flare of light as another torch lit itself above a cell on the opposite wall to Omi's, making him squint. "What-" he started, but Wuya hastily made a cutting motion with her hand. He took that as a signal to shut up.

He peered into the cell as they passed, and with a jolt he realised that it wasn't empty as he had thought. There was a man in there, chained to the wall and to the ground and wearing raggedy brown robes. He didn't move, didn't acknowledge them in the slightest, and Raimundo thought that he might understand why Wuya had cut him off.

The walk after they had passed the man was long, and with near complete darkness to boot. Wuya lit her hand with green fire, but still Raimundo tripped over the crumbled brick of the steps to another large door as they passed it, and her light went out completely before before they reached the torches at the other end.

She was sweating, he noticed as they moved into the light. _Does that mean that it takes a lot of effort for a measly little spell like that?_ he wondered, thinking back to how Kimiko had effortlessly thrown a handful of flames at him during a recent training session. _How advanced did they _get_ while I was gone?_

_&o&o&_

AN: I'm glad to see that there's still an interest in this little (ha!) fic after the months that I neglected it. Reviews are _so_ encouraging that it's unbeliveable! Especially guesses and con-crit. I do love guesses.


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